


My Little Bird

by IrrationallyExcited



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Captain Cold - Freeform, Drabble that got in a lab accident and grew into an uncontrollable monster, Ed Sheeran - Freeform, F/M, Songfic, little bird, white canary - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-25 09:30:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10761459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrrationallyExcited/pseuds/IrrationallyExcited
Summary: When a bank robbery goes wrong, Leonard's darling sister convinces him to take a wounded hostage home with them, and take care of her. He gets much more than he bargained for...Or, the cliché story about the Cat that gets the Canary.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "Little Bird- Ed Sheeran"
> 
> If we take this bird in  
> With its broken leg  
> We could nurse it  
> She said  
> Come inside  
> For a little lie down with me  
> If you fall asleep  
> It wouldn’t be the worst thing
> 
> But when I wake up  
> Your make-up is on my shoulder  
> And tell me, if I lie down  
> Would you stay now  
> And let me hold you?
> 
> But if I kissed you  
> Will your mouth read this truth?  
> Darling, how I miss you  
> Strawberries taste how lips do  
> And it’s not complete yet  
> Mustn’t get our feet wet  
> 'Cause that leads to regret  
> Diving in too soon  
> And I’ll owe it all to you  
> My little bird.
> 
> If we take a walk out  
> In the morning dew  
> We could lay down  
> So I’m next to you  
> Come inside  
> For a little home-made tea  
> If you fall asleep  
> Then at least you’re next to me,
> 
> And if I wake up  
> You see, it’s late, love  
> Go back to sleep  
> I’m covered by nature  
> And I’m safe now  
> Underneath this oak tree  
> With you beside me.
> 
> But if I kissed you  
> Will your mouth read this truth?  
> Darling, how I miss you  
> Strawberries taste how lips do  
> And it’s not complete yet  
> Mustn’t get our feet wet  
> 'Cause that leads to regret  
> Diving in too soon  
> And I’ll owe it all to you  
> My little bird.
> 
> And of all these things  
> I’m sure of  
> I’m not quite certain  
> Of your love  
> And you made me scream  
> But then I made you cry  
> When I left that little bird  
> With its broken leg to die.
> 
> But if I kissed you  
> Will your mouth read this truth?  
> Darling, how I miss you  
> Strawberries taste how lips do  
> And it’s not complete yet  
> Mustn’t get our feet wet  
> 'Cause that leads to regret  
> Diving in too soon  
> But I’ll owe it all to you  
> My little bird...  
> You’re my little bird.

**My Little Bird**

Chapter 1: 

^-^

_If we take this bird in_

_With its broken leg_

_We could nurse it, she said_

^-^

It wasn't my most meticulous plan, I'm willing to admit that. In fairness, I was on a bit of a winning streak; it made me overconfident. Or cocky, as Mick so eloquently put. Every other job had gone perfectly for the last month, and this one seemed just as easy. Maybe the complete lack of security was too good to be true, in hindsight, but maybe Mick's 'bull in a china shop' attitude was rubbing off on me- (figuratively.)

Hitting the bank in the middle of the day probably wasn't my brightest idea, either.

My wonderful little sister and I stormed through the bank windows with an immense crash, wielding our weapons and duffel bags. Immediately Lisa, the most level-headed and articulate of us all, began shouting demands to the terrified crowd of customers and bank employees. "Everybody get on the ground, we don't want to hurt you."

She somehow always manages to make her voice the perfect mix of commanding and kind, I've always envied that. Maybe that's why I always have to interrupt her with something snarky- to keep the balance of the universe intact; "We just want your money..." I drawled, all too aware of the purely gleeful look on my face- and how it's never failed to terrify a group of innocent civilians into co-operating.

Rolling her eyes, Lisa just murmured "shut up Lenny," without missing a beat, stepping around me to have a little 'chat' with the bank vendor- while I kept watch over the hostages. Everything was going smoothly, and we got our hands on the cash from the vault in less than three minutes, leaving us with another two to get out and get as far away as possible- or so we thought. Nobody could have predicted the silent alarm, well- nobody except me... But I wasn't being careful enough: we've already established this.

When the sirens started, we didn't know what to do. Lisa looked at me blankly, her gun gripped tight in silent panic. For a moment I just stared out of the broken windows, a gentle breeze making the shards jingle quietly like a wind chime, and watched the flashing red and blue lights get closer and closer.

Then I jumped into action; "Start sending out the hostages- one at a time. That'll keep the pigs distracted for a minute or two." I ordered, moving around the main desk in search of the back entrance. By the time I found it, I could hear Lisa screeching profanities at the police, no doubt ready to shoot through the empty windows.

With a deep breath I jogged back out to the main part of the bank, where I could see Lisa stood behind a pillar in a semi-standoff with two officers. I knew I had to keep my cool- I had a reputation to uphold, but seeing two pricks in blue threaten my sister was not something I particularly enjoyed.

Surveying the room, I counted four hostages left and instinctively grabbed the closest one. She didn't scream like I'd expected- which caught me off guard. The only outward reaction she displayed was a sharp intake of breath and slightly tensed muscles. She was short; but not tiny, and her hair was a warm blonde; falling just past her shoulders and tickling the top of my hand where I'd grabbed her arm.

Scream or no scream, it was enough to catch the officer's attention; and they finally pointed their guns away from my sister. I didn't even had to pull my gun out- they knew they couldn't try and shoot me without injuring a civilian, so I easily had the upper hand.

Glaring protectively at Lisa, I didn't even have to tell her to get behind me, she did it without question, and as soon as she was behind me I took my gun out and fired a few 'warning shots' at the pigs, clipping one of them on the shoulder. I almost laughed when he fell down like a sack of potatoes, even though I knew the Kevlar wouldn't have let the bullet anywhere near his major organs- what a shame.

Obviously I knew that would break the tense peace, and immediately the air was shattered by deafening sounds of bullets flying, so I grabbed Lisa with my free hand and directed both girls out the door- half dragging the hostage behind me. I only let go of them when we got to the car, throwing the back door open and shoving Lisa in, without even thinking to look back at the random girl we had brought out of the bank. It seemed Lisa had a different idea.

"Hey! We can't just leave her here!" She yelled over the muffled sound of sirens, and I paused with the passenger side door half open. "What are you talking about Lise?" I snapped back. I was exasperated by this point, more than a little bit irritated that my plan hadn't gone smoothly, but when I looked where she was pointing I realised that the girl had collapsed to the ground when I let go.

She was quietly whimpering in agony, clutching her left leg with her eyes screwed shut and dark red blood soaking through the bottom her jeans. "We can fix her up at the safe house," Lisa suggested desperately- she always had been empathetic to a fault. "Why would we bother, we're criminals! We aren't supposed to care." I retorted, but I knew there was no way I could change my sister's mind once she had her heart set on something.

With a sigh, I turned and lifted the girl into the back of the car. I could hear her still whimpering quietly, but too afraid to say anything, and as soon as she was settled in the seat Lisa moved to place a comforting hand on her shoulder and examine her wound.

"Why couldn't it be some stray puppy? You just had to choose the bird with a broken wing." I muttered to myself as I jumped into the passenger seat, and Mick finally pulled away from the bank with an audible tyre screech.

As expected, my little sister decided to respond with silence- communicating to me a lot more than her words ever could.

^-^

_Come inside for a little lie down with me,_

_If you fall asleep_

_It wouldn’t be the worst thing_

^-^

I should probably mention that when my sister said 'we' could fix the girl's leg... She meant me.

So there I was, sat on an old woodworm-ridden stool with a girl I'd just met laying on an unimaginably unsanitary table, bleeding from a serious wound in her leg- with nothing but a half empty first aid kit and a cheap bottle of booze.

First I gave her a swig of the alcohol, and then I drank some too- to settle whatever nerves and adrenaline I could still feel. Then I soaked an old rag in the white spirit and pressed it against her leg. Hard.

I had expected her to scream, or maybe cry at least, but instead she just let a high pitched whine escape her throat, followed by a low hiss through clenched teeth. For some reason, the only thing I cold think at that point was 'badass'.

"You know, you're pretty brave, considering what you've been through today. I won't judge you if you cry right now, bullet wounds hurt like a bitch." I drawled without even looking away from her leg, both to hide the sympathy in my eyes and avoid seeing her underwear at the same time.

At first she didn't say anything, and I assumed she was going to leave it that way, but I should have known to expect surprises from her at this point. "I've felt worse I guess... Or maybe I'm just in shock." She even chuckled slightly, a low bark- more self deprecating than anything else.

For a minute I didn't know what to say, so I turned my full attention back to her wound, having accidentally turned to look at her face without realising. Removing the cloth, I noticed that it was stained red, but not nearly as much as I had expected- once again surprised by this beautiful blonde stranger. Did I say beautiful? I meant brave...

Flipping the green plastic box open, I found some sterile thread, and a needle that Mick had taken from an old sewing kit; bent into a crude curved shape using his lighter.

"You're luckier than I thought, it's just a graze. No bullet to dig out, just some stitches." I explained carefully, holding up the needle apologetically. Scoffing, she just hummed noncommittally, so I assumed that was a signal to start patching her leg back up.

As I worked, running the needle and thread through her flesh, the only indication she gave that she could feel anything was the small whines or hisses she let out occasionally.

It wasn't long until I couldn't take the silence anymore, and I decided to break it; "You know, it feels a bit weird to be playing doctor with you, since I don't even know your name." The joke was unexpected even for me, but she cracked a smile- before wincing in pain again as I stuck the needle in her leg.

"It's Sara." Her voice was weak and croaky, from the trauma she'd been through no doubt. Still, I felt butterflies in my stomach just hearing her utter two words. I could tell I was acting like a lovestruck teenager, so I scrambled to think of something to say rather than just sitting there dumbly. It was harder than I expected.

"I dated a girl called Sara once... Funnily enough she would have been a lot better at dealing with this than I am." I pointed at the wound on her leg, and my wonky stitches, before dropping the needle back in the box and picking up the last of the bandages to wrap her leg in.

She looked like she was about to say something else, but the look on her face told me I didn't want to hear it- whatever it was. So impulsively I snapped the first aid kit shut and stood up, my chair scraping loudly against the floor.

"All done, feel free to pass out." I wasn't really sure why I had reverted back to my 'cold' persona, the one I hadn't used since we left the bank, with Sara. All I knew was that I wasn't familiar with these feelings, and they were making me feel vulnerable. I don't do vulnerable.

Stepping out of the small kitchen, I found Lisa and Mick in the other room, Mick passed out on the couch with an empty beer bottle, and Lisa perched on the window ledge with a book. Before I could think myself out of it, I tugged a pillow from under Mick's meathead, and stepped back into the kitchen to offer it to Sara.

She was already asleep.

^-^

_But when I wake up, your make-up is on my shoulder._

_And tell me if I lie down, would you stay now,_

_And let me hold you?_

^-^

Something made me feel uneasy about leaving Sara alone in the kitchen, looking so small and fragile in her sleep. I decided it couldn't hurt to just sit with her, maybe drink a beer, just to make sure there's nothing else to worry about.

At one point Lisa tiptoed through on her way to go and see Cisco, choosing not to comment aside from a meaningful smirk and a wink. She had no right to judge, she managed to fall in love with a nerdy scientist she met at a bar one time.

After that the whole apartment fell into silence, the only thing I could hear was Mick's steady snoring in the the other room, and Sara's quiet breathing- occasionally interrupted by sniffles.

The next thing I knew there was a gentle pressure on my shoulder, shaking me out of my sleep. I blinked, disoriented by the fact that I couldn't remember falling asleep. Looking down, I saw Sara's familiar head of golden hair, framing her face- which held a shy smile.

"Um, sorry. I got a bit of makeup on your shirt, I didn't even realise..." She murmured, blushing lightly. Only then did I realise she had dark mascara smudged around her eyes like a panda, and I barely bothered to assess the damage to my clothes- it's not like I cared about fashion much anyway.

"It's fine. Are you uncomfortable? There's a mattress in the other room you can sleep on- if you don't mind hearing Mick snoring." I offered, feeling bad about letting her sleep on the table with an injured leg.

Quietly she laughed, smiling at me kindly. "I don't mind, thank you... But I'm not gonna steal your bed." She replied, still visibly shy about being in an apartment with two criminals- probably.

"Don't worry about me, I don't need to sleep right now." I replied- if there was one thing I learned from my dad, it was how to be a gentleman- mainly because he was so bad at it.

"Don't lie to me Leonard, you're exhausted, you fell asleep sitting up earlier."

Maybe it was the fact that she had called me by my name for the first time, or maybe it was just because she was so clearly right, but I couldn't find a reason to refuse.

"Okay, I'll make a deal with you," I stood up, reaching out to help her sit up and rest her good leg on the floor. "We can share the mattress, it's big enough for two."

Slowly we began to shuffle into the other room together, with only three legs to work with it wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

"A bit forward, don't you think?" She joked, but her pained voice and panting breath took the humour away from it.

Finally we got to the old mattress, and thankfully I had thought to put a fresh sheet on it before we left for the bank. As I helped lower Sara to the floor without hurting her leg again, I rolled my eyes at her comment.

"I promise no funny business, just sleep" It was an order, like I'd been giving to people all day, but that time it was empty of any force or authority- just fondness.

We settled on the mattress, not too close or too far away, and part of me longed for a blanket for the first time in a while. And it wasn't until I was almost certain she'd fallen asleep that she whispered into the darkness, "I'll let you hold me, if you want..."

Shifting over, trying hard to ignore my heart thrumming in my chest, I wrapped my arms around her tiny frame, and whispered in her ear. "It's cold in here, I guess."

^-^

_But if I kissed you_

_Will your mouth read this truth?_

_Darling, how I miss you_

_Strawberries taste how lips do_

^-^

The next time we met, after that quiet night in the safe house and the morning after when she left without a word, I was sat at my usual table in Saints & Sinners.

It's a crappy bar, but it has good beer and the usual patrons tend to leave you in peace- and the best part? The bartenders only call the police on you if you make a scene. My point is, it's one of the very few places other than a shitty safe house where I can feel safe in the fact that nobody can come looking for me...

I guess Sara didn't get that memo.

The door to the bar creaked open and slammed shut with its usual crash, and I would've ignored it if it weren't for the spider which crawled down my spine.

I turned around and there she was; like a miracle or a stalker. I couldn't even remember half of what happened the first time we met, but somehow she found me here. I couldn't decide whether I should be impressed or pull a gun on her.

Wearing an emerald green jacket and high heeled boots, she strode purposefully toward my table- leg wound seemingly long forgotten. The usual patrons gawked and whistled at her, but she easily brushed them off with a flick of golden hair and a deathly glare. By this point, I was definitely impressed.

"Something tells me this isn't your usual bar, Sara." I drawled pointedly as soon as she stood opposite me. There was a twinkle in her eye as she dragged a chair over from the next table and sat down, and I could feel a lump forming in my throat already.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, _Snart_. And quite a few things I won't be telling you, for starters- how I knew you would be here." She spoke with an air of superiority, mixed with a little bit of teasing- and damn it was sexy.

I leant back then, swirling my drink thoughtfully as I easily figured out exactly how she found me; "My kid sister Lisa slipped you her number, and texted you exactly where I would be, after hounding me none-so-subtly about what time I was going out for a drink this evening... She likes to meddle with my life, that sister of mine."

I struggled to hide my satisfied smirk, but she just rolled her eyes. "Impressive, I figured someone who can last this long in your line of work without getting caught must be pretty smart."

"What's your explanation for Mick then?" I didn't know why I was joking with her, I just knew I was enjoying myself.

" _Really_ good luck."

Our laughter filled the tense silence, and her delicate giggle surprise me somehow, very different to the short barks she was only willing to let out before. Her guard was coming down, and so was mine- why wasn't I concerned about this?

The bartender brought over another drink for me like always, and wordlessly slipped a glass of whiskey over to Sara's side of the table. She caught it and lifted it to her lips with a wink towards me- and probably the most impressive part was when she swallowed a large sip without even wincing, and I knew how strong that stuff was. It wasn't much more than battery acid, and she just drank it like water. _Badass_.

"So is this how you spend all of your spare time? Drinking alone?" She asked, conversationally- not interrogatively. I'm familiar with the difference.

"Well I'm not alone at the moment, am I?" I retorted instead of a real answer, "and you're more than welcome to join me, I'm not picky."

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Leonard?"

I grinned wolfishly, "you can't blame a guy for trying," expecting her to laugh or even roll her eyes again, but her smile dropped and the sparkle in her eye disappeared, drowned out as they glazed over.

She didn't say anything, and I couldn't blame her. It was obvious I'd hit a sore spot, as she dropped her glass back on the table, half full. "Yeah, drinking isn't really my thing anymore. I should go." She stood up and started walking out, and for whatever reason it took me a moment to get up and follow her, rather than just watch her leave.

It's not often I meet someone who seems to actually be able to look past the criminal, and I'd be an idiot to let her just walk out- mainly because Lisa wouldn't let me hear the end of it.

I caught her elbow just before she stepped off the sidewalk to cross the road, and pulled her back under the shelter by the door, out of the rain.

"Hey, Sara. I'm sorry, you know I was joking about getting you drunk, what's really going on here?" I asked firmly, keeping my hand on her arm.

"It's nothing, I shouldn't even be here, this is insane! You're Leonard Snart, I should be running the other way, not seeking you out like a lovesick puppy." She rants, making no effort to extract herself situation at all.

"Yeah you should, but you aren't, so you can at least tell me what's on your mind." I reasoned, for once not trying to manipulate or deceive- for once actually just trying to help a friend.

"Look, I'm not in the mood for a therapist... Which is why I wanted to spend time with you actually,"

"Ouch" I commented.

"Shut up," She rolled her eyes, "As I was saying, my life is in a pretty shit place at the moment, and I'm not ready to talk about it... But last year I went missing, and my family fell apart. My mom left my dad, and then he and my sister both became alcoholics... So heavy drinking isn't really my favourite thing to joke about right now."

I could tell she knew she was straying into rambling territory here, and she visibly stopped herself from saying more. With a sympathetic smile, I patted her shoulder softly.

"I'm no stranger to excessive alcohol consumption myself- Dad was a prick, and I get where you're coming from. I also get that you aren't really looking to develop alcoholism either, so I have a suggestion."

"What kind of suggestion?"

"We go back to my place, and eat Chinese food until we either explode or fall into comas- whichever comes first." It was more of a statement than a suggestion, but it seemed to work, as Sara just grinned shyly and nodded.

"Sounds like a date, but there's one thing you're forgetting." She mentioned, a devious glint in her eyes, and before I could even react she swayed forward purposefully on her toes and caught my mouth in a kiss.

Her lips tasted like strawberries and whiskey, and instinctively I held her face in my palms- feeling the tears from before damp on her cheeks. I wiped them away with a thumb, and pulled her closer, grabbing her waist tentatively.

All too sudden, she pulled away; and in the dim light of the neon bar sign I saw a faint blush along her throat, which faded almost as soon as it had appeared. Clearing her throat, she drew my gaze back to her eyes and stepped back, blinking my eyes as if trying to clear a dream from my mind.

It wasn't a dream though, obviously, and as if to prove it, she held my wallet up between two fingers, with a playful tilt of her head. She'd swiped it out of my pocket while I was distracted, and stood silently but mercilessly teasing me about it with her eyes. Then she finally broke the silence,

"You're buying."

^-^

_And it’s not complete yet_

_Mustn’t get our feet wet_

_'Cause that leads to regret_

_Diving in too soon_

^-^

We were sat on the ratty couch in one of my apartments, close enough to be touching toes, surrounded by empty takeout boxes and both completely full of food. I was about ready to make good on my promise and fall into the deepest sleep I would have had in a while, when she broke the comfortable quiet with the one thing I had hoped she wouldn't want to talk about just yet.

"Look, Leonard, about that kiss earlier-"

"I get it, it didn't mean anything, that's fine." I quickly interjected, happy to avoid the potentially awkward situation where she tries to spare my feelings- but fails miserably.

"No, listen. Yeah, I did that so I could get your wallet, but I also did it because I had been thinking about it since I woke up on your shoulder that day we first met... And I figured life's short, why not kiss the felon I'd been crushing on? It's stupid, but that's the truth." She basically blurted the words out, tripping over her own tongue a couple of times, but I couldn't help but find it endearing.

I considered my answer for a moment, not wanting to screw it up and freak her out, "I appreciate the honesty- and if we're both admitting things now then I have to say I'd been hoping you'd do that since you walked into that bar, and I'm glad you did."

"Good"

"Good..."

"But-" I knew there was a 'but' coming; "I think we should just slow down, we're both in strange places with our heads at the moment, not to mention the fact that you're a criminal and my dad's a _cop_ -"

"Wait, your Dad's a cop?" I butted in, wide-eyed.

"Not important-" In my opinion, that was pretty important, but I let her finished anyway, "I just think we shouldn't do anything we might regret later."

I raised an eyebrow, "Like, diving into bed together on the first date?"

She huffed, "In the metaphorical sense, yes. Let's not get our feet wet, at least not until we know how warm the water is."

Barely able to hold back a laugh, I bumped her knee with my foot; "Is that a euphemism for something?"

"In your dreams." She fired back.

"After that kiss? _Definitely_."

^-^

_And I’ll owe it all to you_

_My little bird._

^-^


	2. Chapter 2

  
Chapter 2:

^-^

 _If we take a walk out_  
In the morning dew  
We could lay down  
So I’m next to you

^-^

The next morning, we were both still full from the Chinese food- so we decided to forego breakfast and take a walk in the park instead. The sun was out, and despite the early hour we could hear the chirps of birds filtering through the leaves above us.

"How does your leg feel? It seems like that bullet never happened." I observed, idly kicking at the damp grass. She hummed for a moment, as if trying to articulate her answer.

"Actually, it's healing pretty well... I can barely feel it. There's probably gonna be a scar there, but I've got plenty of those anyway- I was a tough child." she laughed- light and without reservation.

"Well I'm glad it didn't get infected or anything." I replied honestly, pretending the blush on my cheeks wasn't there.

"Thanks, by the way. For stitching me up, you didn't have to... And I know you didn't want to." She was quiet, but thanks to the empty park I heard every word she spoke. Frowning, I stopped walking and turned to face her, a hand on her arm.

"Hey, I hope you know that I'm glad Lisa wanted to help you. Maybe I wasn't over the moon at the time, but it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me" I admitted, extremely aware of how hopeless I sounded.

She smiled slowly, at first the corners of her lips twitched just slightly, and slowly the small smirk progressed to an open-lipped grin, until her whole face was lit up with affection. "Leonard! I'm blushing!" She giggled, as if offended by what I'd said and how it had made her feel. I noticed the light pink dusting on her cheeks with a smirk, and she returned it easily. "I'm glad you think that, Leonard. I feel the same."

All of a sudden I let out a breath I didn't even know I'd been holding, a quiet sigh of relief. She laughed, and I found myself laughing too... Then I felt myself leaning in to kiss her.

It was like the night before at the bar, only better because it was morning, and it wasn't raining, and the air didn't smell like stale beer and puke.

Her lips still tasted like strawberries, and her hair was soft beneath my fingertips, and she pulled away with a slight hesitation I could feel in the way she ran her hands down my shoulders to hold my arms.

I frowned, but she was still smiling timidly, "I thought we weren't going to dive in headfirst?" She joked shyly, and I couldn't help but groan.

"You're right, sorry. You want to test the water with your toes... I'm just impatient I guess." I apologised, trying not to roll my eyes _too_ harshly.

"Hey, don't make fun. You agreed last night that we should take things slow... We still don't even know each other." She retorted, rolling her eyes right back at me, "But I have to say, from that kiss... I don't think I have to test the water anymore, it's _definitely_ warm enough."

I gasped, loud enough to startle a passing dog walker, and raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Are you being dirty on purpose, Sara? I honestly expected you to be so much more mature." I scolded mockingly, and she shrugged.

"Maybe you shouldn't judge someone by their appearance, I can be absolutely wicked when I want to be." She retorted, stepping backwards to lean against the trunk of a nearby tree and pulling me by my arm.

Blinking in surprise, I let her pull me in, and she leaned in closer. Standing on her tiptoes, she looked like she was about to kiss me, and I felt a lump in my throat out of nowhere, forgetting how to breathe momentarily...

And then she ruined the moment by licking my cheek instead.

"Hey! You just broke my heart!" I exclaimed, carelessly chasing her as she darted away and into the trees.

Her witch-cackle laughter echoed through the woodland, and I stealthily followed it until she stopped behind a wide oak tree. Counting the seconds, I listened to her breath slow down and settle... And then I pounced.

Grabbing her by the hips, I lifted her from the ground and spun her in a circle, tickling her sides mercilessly. She squealed loud enough to rattle the branches above us, and then burst into another round of laughter, and I could almost feel my heart thawing in my chest. Almost.

"Ok, okay... I give up!" She gasped, kicking uselessly at my shins and wriggling in my grip. I finally let go, instead turning her around and pinning her wrists against the tree.

"Does this mean I win?" I asked, smirking wickedly. She groaned loudly, rolling her eyes again and leaning against the rough bark of the tree behind her head.

Somehow, with a quiet grunt of effort, she tripped me over and I lost my balance. Out of nowhere I found myself tumbling to the ground, taking Sara with me in my arms. After rolling over each other helplessly, we lay limp under the heavy oak branches, tickled by the bed of grass we found ourselves on.

For whatever reason, I felt like I could stay laying on the ground next to Sara for the rest of my life. It would be a short life, considering the fact we'd probably both catch hypothermia in no time, but it would have been a good short life.

"How is it I can tell you're thinking about death? No offence, but it's not the most romantic subject." She broke the silence, holding a blade of grass above her face mindlessly.

I laughed, shaking my head against the cold ground, "Sorry, I have a bad habit of contemplating death. Im working on it."

"I've been dead before." She whispered, dropping the grass from her hand, "Metaphorically, I mean. When I went missing, everyone I loved assumed I had died."

Oddly, despite the topic of conversation, the way we spoke still felt lighthearted- as if we could both feel each other's pain and accommodate for it.

"It sucked, my parents broke up, and my sister... she's unrecognisable." She coughed, clearing the lump in her throat we both knew was there, but would never mention. "But it was hard for me too, coming back from the dead. I never really fit in before I disappeared, but when I came back... It didn't take long for my family to go from 'glad you're alive' to 'I never want to see you again'."

 _Yeah, that sucks_. I thought, "I didn't know you had a sister." I said instead. And judging by the relieved shift in her shoulders, I'd made the right choice of words.

^-^

 _Come inside_  
For a little home-made tea  
If you fall asleep  
Then at least you’re next to me

^-^

"Well," She started, hauling herself off the ground with a gracefulness I somehow expected, "this has been fun, but my ass is wet now, let's go get somewhere warm."

"Are you asking me on a _date_ , Sara?" I couldn't stop myself from teasing her, and she just grinned smugly.

"Wouldn't you just love that, Leonard."

I stood up and followed after her without a word, and we soon found ourselves back on the Main Street, the road gradually filling with traffic as the mid morning sun rose in the cloudy sky. She turned and stopped when we got to a small, indie-looking café. It was far from the overdone, artificial coffee shops I was used to littering this City; Starbucks, Costa and CC Jitters. It actually seemed like it was owned by real people, and somehow it suited someone like Sara perfectly.

"I work here some weekends, when I need the cash." She explained flippantly, pushing the door open and leading me inside, and I was almost caught off guard by the lack of an annoyingly loud bell greeting us as we walked in.

The strong scent of roasting coffee beans was mixed with something sweet- like some sort of herbal tea, and I was immediately comfortable wth the atmosphere in the room. I sat by the till, and couldn't keep my eyes off of Sara as she stepped behind the counter and got busy making our drinks.

She took her seat next to me less than a minute later, sliding a dark mug over to me, and I could tell it was filled with the sweetest coffee on the menu, with just the right amount of creamer. I took a long sip, and hummed happily- content that she had gotten my order exactly right.

With a glance to my left, I noticed the dark pink liquid in her mug, the strong sweet scent of strawberry tea rising between us. Of course she would be a strawberry tea kind of girl; that was why her lips tasted so sweet.

Part of me probably knew that it wasn't the best time to be thinking about the taste of her lips, or the feel of her body pressed against my own... But somehow I chose to ignore that part of my brain without a second thought. With another long sip of my heavenly coffee, I directed my gaze toward her unfocused eyes. They were glossed over again, and she was staring right through the chaotic menu board on the wall in front of us.

Gently, as if making sure not to startle a lost woodland creature, I placed my free hand over her own, which was gripping the hot mug of tea in front of her a little too hard to be comfortable. It was as if she couldn't feel anything- not the heat of her drink or the press of my hand against hers.

I recognised the look on her face as one I had worn myself countless times, and I knew all I could do was give her a moment to slip out of her thoughts and back into the real world again... It took slightly longer than I expected.

Even when she looked away from the wall, she didn't say a word, just sipping her tea slightly too fast, and thinking slightly too hard.

"Sara." I whispered, touching her arm this time. No reply.

So we sat in silence, drinking in almost perfect unison. She stared at the mug in her hand, picking quietly at the pink heart design printed on the side of it, and I stared at her.

Weirdly, it was the most peaceful I had ever felt.

^-^

As soon as her mug was empty, she stood up and walked out of the door so quickly I could barely keep up.

She walked back towards the park we were in earlier, and I didn't have the heart or lung capacity to ask her why. I followed her quick footsteps, weaving carelessly through the busy streets, until we reached the park gates. There, she stopped to grab my arm and dragged me instead.

In no time at all, we were back under the old oak tree, surrounded by low hanging branches and bright green leaves. Somehow the sounds of the park drowned out the city sounds, car horns replaced by insects buzzing, people's chatter lost under rustling leaves.

Obviously I was imagining this, but at the time it felt pretty magical- and that's coming from a cynical thief with more than one prison sentence in my past.

Finally, Sara spoke again; "Can we lie on the grass again? It was nice."

I didn't argue, and we both arranged ourselves on the ground under the canopy of the tree, and she curled into my side, my arm around her shoulders. She was right; it was nice. Even though the grass was cold and damp, and my arm was already starting to feel numb, I felt content and comfortable. It was weird.

"Okay, I'm sorry I disappeared for so long... I was thinking about things." She explained, picking at a loose thread on my shirt as she spoke. "And I think we should talk about some things."

I sighed quietly, I had known this conversation was coming- and dreading it.

"Or we could just pretend everything is simple, and fall asleep?" I suggested desperately, and she actually agreed, nodding her head. Out of all the things she had done since we met, it was probably the most surprising- and I was infinitely glad to fall asleep next to her, under an oak tree in the middle of a public park.

^-^

 _And if I wake up_  
You see, it’s late, love  
Go back to sleep  
I’m covered by nature  
And I’m safe now  
Underneath this oak tree  
With you beside me.

  
^-^

When we woke up again, it was still daytime and the sun was somewhere high up in the clouds. Luckily, nobody had found us while we were sleeping, as we still had our phones and cash in our pockets. Unfortunately, we were both left damp from the dew-covered grass, and it was a ten minute walk back to my apartment. Sara was especially grumbly about that

We got to the safe house, and both of us got changed into sweatpants and t-shirts- Sara borrowing the smallest clothes I could find. Even though I always have spare stuff for my sister, Sara ended up looking like a child in her mom's clothes; thanks to her petite body. (I was also aware by this point that if I tried to call her 'short', she'd punch me- criminal record or no criminal record).

We ended up on the couch together, watching a terrible reality show on a stolen television, and sharing a lukewarm bowl of ramen between us. She was curled around my body like a koala, and I don't think I need to mention the fact that we weren't really paying attention to what was on the TV.

The half eaten bowl of food was quickly discarded on the floor somewhere, and her legs were around my waist, and my tongue was on her neck... Frankly; I was having a really great time.

And that was the moment my sister decided to burst into the apartment with the loudest crash possible.

"Lenny! You home? I brought doughnuts-" She froze, dropping her bag of pastries with a disappointing splat, " _oh_."

Sara and I shot apart like two negative ends of a magnet, and I watched her whole face burst into flames out of the corner of my eye- figuratively of course... Mick would've been way too disappointed to miss someone's face catching fire. For a moment I think everyone in the room held their breath... And then Lisa started laughing hysterically.

She was hyperventilating, tears rolling down her face, and I felt myself chuckling too, but Sara just looked even more startled, which made me want to laugh even harder. Of course I stopped myself, not wanting to make her even more uncomfortable, and patted her arm with a grin.

"It's okay, Sara. Lisa doesn't care, she's just feeling _really_ smug right now." I explained quickly, Sara sighed in relief, and Lisa snorted loudly in agreement.

Coughing and sputtering the last giggles from the back of her throat, Lisa finally collected herself enough to speak, "yeah, Lenny, I can't believe you finally got your shit together and made out with a pretty girl. And I picked this one! See, I know you so well big brother."

That just made Sara blush all over again, and I rolled my eyes hard enough they could've fallen out of their sockets.

"Oh my God, Lisa. I hate you so much, please leave now." I replied, trying way too hard to keep calm, but of course my sister couldn't resist torturing me just a little bit.

"Aw, but I brought doughnuts. Celebratory doughnuts!" She exclaimed, grabbing the bag off the floor and carefully opening it, checking the state of the food inside with a frown.

"Fine." I snapped, but there was no edge to my tone- I was way too fond of my sister's enthusiasm. "Leave the doughnuts, go find Cisco and tell him all about how great you are... Just please remember not to bring him back here."

With a mischievous grin, and an unmissable twinkle in her eyes, she agreed and skipped out of the apartment, and there was no denying the fact that my kid sister was completely infatuated with that stupid dorky scientist. _Gross_.

After the door slammed shut again, there was a pause. I could feel Sara's gaze burning the side of my face, and an unwanted blush crept onto my cheeks.

"Would it be possible to just forget the past two minutes didn't happen?" I asked sheepishly, a shy smirk on my lips.

"Nope." She easily retorted, grabbing a doughnut from the bag discarded on my lap, "but I _am_ going to tell your sister she's welcome to drop by with valuable insight and doughnuts anytime.

Groaning loudly, I buried my face in a pillow and pushed the slightly sticky paper bag away. "I hate Lisa, and I hate you." I grumbled, glaring as she innocently licked the icing from the pastry in her hand.

Grinning, she licked a finger suggestively and openly watched as I bit my lip to hide a smirk, "tell that to the puppy dog look on your face... And the marks you just left on my neck."

I couldn't argue with that logic, and frankly; I was really enjoying this uncensored version of Sara.

^-^

 _And of all these things_  
I’m sure of  
I’m not quite certain  
Of your love

^-^

All too soon- in my opinion at least- we had to give in to reality and actually talk about the things we'd tried so hard to avoid talking about. First, Sara told me about her family. I already knew she had a sister, and (unfortunately) a cop for a father. I found out her last name was Lance, which led me to the quick conclusion that her father wasn't just any cop, but Captain Lance of Starling City. Understandably, this led to my subsequent freak out, but Sara easily talked me down.

Soon after finding out her dad was a police captain, I found myself wanting to punch said police captain in the face very hard.

Sara explained more about her disappearance, and I faintly remembered hearing about the boat crash on the news at the time, and then she described her return from the island. She said she'd been welcomed at first, but soon felt herself isolated, alone, and a lot more traumatised from the experience than she had first imagined.

Like she'd said before, it didn't take long for her father to replace his relief with resentment, and she said his last words to her were; 'I don't even know who you are anymore, a part of me wishes you had died on that boat'.

So, obviously, I was not overly happy with the kind of person Sara's Dad seemed to be.

^-^

Next, it was my turn to tell Sara about the skeletons in my closet. Although my story seemed much more straightforward than hers, my closet was filled with actual corpses, which proved much more difficult to talk about honestly.

A first, the sadness in her eyes told me she was preparing to bolt as soon as she could, but somehow she stayed. She sat next to me, silent, listening intently as I recited the whole story of the things that had brought me to where I was. It was the first time I had ever talked through it all, and it was surprisingly difficult even for me.

But she stayed, and as soon as I finished she wrapped her arms around me and silently held me. I flinched, thinking she would want to run the other way, not lean into me and rest her cheek on my shoulder. She pressed feather light kisses against my neck, and whispered something over over again, too quiet to hear.

When she pulled back, she saw the lost look in my eyes, and smiled sadly.

"It's okay, I understand why you've done those things. With what I've been through; I've had to do some things that made me wonder if I could ever feel human again. But I know I can... Because I think I love you."

And... _Oh_ \- I was not expecting that.

^-^

_And you made me scream  
But then I made you cry_

^-^

[5 days later]

"You lied to me." I accused, stone-still and unflinchingly calm.

She gaped at me, eyes unmoving from the blood-soaked hole in my shoulder, and the dark red gun hanging limply in my hand.

Scrambling up from the old couch, in the unlisted apartment she had no idea I knew about, she dropped her beer glass. Neither of us even blinked at the sound of shattered glass, and she stared at me with her mouth agape.

"W-what happened?" She stuttered, eyes glazing with frightened tears, and hands clenched into trembling fists at her side.

I growled lowly in the back of my throat, rage and heartbreak thrumming heavily through my veins. With narrowed eyes, I stared at the love of my life with more anger in my heart than I had felt when my father hit my sister for the first time.

"I trusted you, and you lied to my face." I stated, with my voice as still as ice. "You told your dad about me, exactly where I would be tonight and exactly what I was planning."

She gasped, shock and confusion clear on her face, "I don't know what you're talking about Leonard, my Dad was there?" But I knew she was just pretending.

"Don't you dare lie to me again. What was it worth to you? Did you think it would get your Daddy to love you again?" I finally let my voice crack, and every ounce of emotion I was feeling in that moment poured through.

"No! I didn't tell him anything! I don't even know what happened!" She insisted, shivering with fear.

"Stop lying!" I screamed, lunging forward and barely stopping the hand that reached out to grab her. There was no way I would let myself become like that monster that called himself my father, even if she had completely screwed me over. "Your Dad knew I would be there, and he was leading the whole damn cavalry like it was something personal. And it was, wasn't it? Because of you."

She was crying now, a cascade of tears rolling down red flushed cheeks. "I didn't do anything." She choked, quiet and afraid.

"You told me you loved me. But it was an act, a game to you. Right?"

"No!" She sobbed, and I had to step back against the forceful urge to slap her. What was I becoming?

I covered my face with my free hand, frustrated and drained, and it was only then I realised I had been crying.

"You said you loved me, and I was stupid enough to believe it." I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.

And then I walked out of the door.

^-^

_When I left that little bird  
With its broken leg to die._

^-^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bxsictrxsh.tumblr.com for more fangirling and DC stuff


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